Richard Thirkeld was ordained a priest in France in 1579, and returned to homeland of York, England, soon after to serve as a home missioner. There he was arrested on the eve of the Annunciation in 1538 for the crime of being a priest.

He was imprisoned for two months before being brought to court on May 27, 1538 for hearing confessions and bringing lapsed Catholics back to the Church. He was sentenced to death the following day, May 29, was executed in York. He used his short time in jail to minister to the other prisoners, especially those sentenced to death.

He was executed secretly because authorities feared that his public execution would have caused a public demonstration.